JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The use of telehealth has rapidly increased, yet some populations may be disproportionally excluded from accessing and using this modality of care. Training service users in telehealth may increase accessibility for certain groups. The extent and nature of these training activities has not been explored.

Objective:

The objective of this scoping review is to identify and describe activities for training service users in the use of telehealth.

Methods:

Five databases (MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were searched in June 2023. Studies of adult populations, including caregivers, and studies that described activities to train service users in the use of synchronous telehealth consultations were eligible for inclusion. Studies that focused on healthcare professional education were excluded. Articles were limited to those published in the English language. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for scoping reviews and is reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Titles and abstracts were screened by one reviewer. Full texts were screened by two reviewers. Data extraction was guided by the research question.

Results:

The search identified 8087 unique publications. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Telehealth training was commonly described as once-off pre-telehealth visit phone calls to service users, facilitated primarily by student volunteers, accompanied by written instructions. The training content included how to download and install software, troubleshooting, and adjusting device settings. Older adults were the most common target population for the training. All but one of the studies were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, training was feasible and well-received by service users, and studies mostly reported increased rates of video visits following training. There was limited evidence that training improved participants’ competency with telehealth.

Conclusions:

The review mapped the literature on training activities for service users in telehealth. The common features of telehealth training for service users included once-off preparatory phone calls on the technical elements of telehealth, targeted at older adults. Key issues for consideration include the need for co-designed training and improving broader digital skills of service users. There is a need for further studies to evaluate outcomes of telehealth training activities in geographically-diverse areas.